Tube socket



June 12, 1951 H, z, ENTON ETAL 2,556,956

' TUBE SOCKET Filed April 21, 1947 L 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Junie 12, 1951 H. z. BENTON EI'AL TUBE SOCKET Filed April 21, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 319 v r I 28 28 I 34 4 i I llll l 5 IN VEN TORS.

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. TUBE SOCKET Filed April 21, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet :s

IN VEN TORS.

Patented June 12, 1951 TUBE SOCKET Harold Z. Benton, Woodstock, and Raymond R. assignors to American Phenolic Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corpora- Over, Chicago, 111.,

tion' of Illinois Application April 21, 1947, Serial No. 742,822

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to electronic tube sockets and is specifically directed to the provision of a. novel and improved multiple contact socket having features making it particularly suited for use in connection with the larger sizes of cathode ray tubes such as television viewing tubes.

It is the general aim of the invention to provide a kinescope tube socket capable of high performance standards and having a construction and arrangements of parts whereby the socket is easily adaptable to diiferent arrangements of parts encountered in various designs of television units, so that the sockets will be commercially acceptable to manufactureres in this field. More specifically, it is the primary object of this invention to provide multiple electrode socket having a completely enclosed housing and novel means for grouping the electrical leads within the socket housing, so that they may be brought out radially from the housing in a single unitary cable. The space required for the tube and socket are thus held at a minimum, and the wiring may be done in a convenient and workmanlike manner. r

A further object of the invention resides in the provision'of a socket including plurality of socket contacts with terminals adapted to be soldered to flexible Wire leads, together with a socket cap shaped to fully enclose all of the connections between the terminals and the leads, so that electrical shock hazards are eliminated but the wiring is easily accessible for servicing by removing the cap.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a socket of the general type indicated wherein the several socket contacts are electrically isolated from each other and are enclosed within a cap formed to provide an enclosed circular raceway extending entirely around the socket so that flexing of the individual wires at the soldered contact terminals is eliminated. This construction minimizes the possibility of breakage at the points of union between the soldered terminals and the wire leads.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a multiple contact socket having a back cap formed to provide a circular raceway in which all of the electrical leads may be grouped into a single cable within the socket structure wherein the socket and cap are formed so that the opening for the lead wire cable can be positioned in any one of a plurality of angular locations. With this arrangement the lead cable to the socket may-be taken off in the most convenient direction, as determined by the position of the other parts of the apparatus with respect to the viewing tube.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a multiple contact socket of the general type indicated wherein the insulating elements of the socket comprise only two pieces, yet these pieces are formed to support and insulate the several contacts, provide a raceway for the leads, and are constructed so that they may be firmly held together merely by a pair of snap rings, so that no screws, drive pins or other auxiliary means of fastening are required.

The foregoing objects are accomplished in the present invention by the provision of a socket in which the socket body is formed of a single piece of insulating material having a plurality of contact wells with 'creepage barrers between them, so that the contacts are efiectively isolated from each other. An insulating cap is formed so that it may be secured to the back of the socket body to completely enclose all of the contacts and soldered terminals and to provide a circular raceway for the individual flexible leads to the contacts.

It follows that all of the leads may all be brought together into a single cable and taken off radially from the socket through a single opening in the side wall of the cap. The cap and socket body are locked together by a pair of spring wire rings snapped over matching lugs on the socket body and cap. These lugs are spaced at regular intervals around the socket body so that the cap may be positioned in any one of several angular positions in order that the lead harness can be taken out of the socket in the most conventient direction. The circular raceway around the socket not only serves to group all of the leads into a convenient unitary cable, but is also advantageous in that it prevents the flexing cfthe leads at the soldered joint between the lead and the contact terminal and thus avoids the danger of breakage at this vial point. Also, the cap completely encloses the contacts, soldering terminals and ends of the lead wires so that all surfaces otherwise uninsulated are completely protected and the socket may be removed or placed on the viewing tube Without fear of short circuit or electrical shock. The socket face is recessed, which not only serves as a guide for easy insertion of the tube, but also provides a protective safety barrier surroundin the pins of the viewing tube as the socket is applied or removed. 7

These advantages are obtained by a comparatively simple housing structure that may be molded in only two pieces. While the socket is particularly suited for television or oscilloscope tubes, it will provide a highly satisfactory socket for any one of the various types of multiple contact electronic tubes. Thus, although the principles of this invention are applicable to various different physical formations of sockets,

they are best described in connection with a pre-'- ferred embodiment of the invention such as illustrated in the drawings attached to and forming a part of this specification, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of a tube socket constructed in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a central sectional view taken substantially on the plane of. line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a central sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the-line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure dis a plan view of the socket provided with a flanged mounting plate.

Figure '7 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line '!1 of ure 6, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the socket contacts The socket includes. ablock or body portion l i, which is illustrated as being molded of a single unitary piece of electrical insulating material. It'includes a conventional central opening 12, with a key way l3 and a plurality of openings i l receive the individual contact pins. The face surface of the socket is recessed to provide an annular flange l6 surrounding the base of the tube, so that the flange will act as a protective barrier-to prevent touching with the contact pinsas thetube is inserted in or removed from the socket. The surface [5 may also be provided with radial channels ll between the individua contacts so that the electrical creepage 'path between the individual contacts is lengthened.

The tube pin openings 14 each enter a contact well 2| positioned between radially extendin'; barrier walls 22 formed integrally with a-circular barrier 23 around the opening l2; The radia barriers are'joined by outer barrier walls 24 to completely isolate the contact well. The socks; block is preferably molded as a single piece so that barriers 22, 23 and 24 are formed as unitary parts.

Metallic contacts 28 corresponding to 'the 'pins of the tube for which the'socket is wired positioned in the-wells 2|, with their soldering terminals 26 extending downwardly and around the-lower edge of the barrier 2e and then up wardly against the outer side of the barrier to a terminal pocket 21 between the outer surface of the barrier 24 and the ends of the radial barriers 22. The radial barriers 22 do not extend across the full diameter of the socket block; but terminate somewhat short of a circular shoulder 28 of 'slightly less diameter than'the outer wall of the socket, providing an annular seat 29' for the back cap. The space between the shoulder.

28 and the ends of the radial barriers 22 pro vides an annular raceway 3i extendingentirely around the socket block, yet outside of the terminal pockets 2'! so that the several flexible leads 32 may be-brought around the ends oi the radial barriers 22 and grouped into a cable generally indicated at 33 without danger of shorting between the contacts. The raceway is within the diameter of the cap supporting shoulder 28 so that it may be completely enclosed by a back cap. The back cap of the socket consists of an outer cylindrical flange 34 and an open centered flat bottomportion 35. The inner surface of the bottom is provided with a number of contact supporting shelves 36 positioned under the individual contact wells so that the shelves extend upwardly into the contact wells and support the pin contacts.

An opening 3'? is made in the flange 34 of the back cap to clear the cable 33 when the cap is in position.

The back capis secured to the socket body by a pair of outwardly extending lugs 38 on the opposite sides of the cap and near the top of the cylindrical side wall 34. The socket block is similarly provided with a plurality of matching lugs 39 and the-cap is held on the socket by a pair of snap rings 40 seated in grooves in the lugs 38 and 39. It is to be noted, however, that while only two of the lugs 38'are required, the socket block-may be provided with additional lugs 21* equally spaced intervals so that the backcap:

may be positioned at any one of severalangular positions aroundthesocketl. By this meansitis feasible to take 01f the cable of contact leads in the most convenient direction and, since viewing tubes of .the type for which 'thissocket is specifically designed must be maintained in fixed position, it follows that the ability to take' the leads in any'convenient direction isof advantage in designing v quipment so that maximum.

utilizationof the space is obtained and unneces-f sarily long leads are avoided. The lugs 46 are formed on the socket body s that they extend downwardly below thesurface of the cap-seat'29 on Which the upper'edg'e of the cap flange 34 bears. Thus the multiple lugs on the socket bodyoverhang the upper flange of the socket 'cap-atregular points around its cir-- cumference and aid in strengthening the joint.

between the 'twopieces. Also, since these lugs bear against the outer surface of the sidewall 34 at points closely spaced on either side of theopening 38,,the flange is strengthened and any tendency of the edges of the openingto .spread is checked.

The socket is most commonly utilized in the form illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 since'the tele-- vision viewing tubes with which it is used are ordinarily placed in fixed -mountings and the socket held in place" on the-tube onlyby the friction-bythe pin contacts; In-some-installations, however, it is desirable to mount the sockets in fixed position and in this event the socket may be providedwith a mounting plate-4| seated over an annular centering notch 42in the upper edge of the barrier 16..- The-socket andplate are held I together by a plurality of tabs 43 struck down-' wardly-from the plate andhaving end hook portions 44 extending into recesses 45 on the socket body.

In-certain instances, it is-desirable to isolate R one ofthe leads-from the-terminals,- as in the event that it becomes desirable to segregate a the lead wires.

opposite to'the main.:trunk;.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the teachings of this invention provide an improved and novel socket having features not heretofore found in the art. It is first noted that the entire socket is of simple yet extremely rugged construction wherein the insulating elements of the socket comprise only two pieces, yet they are so related that all of the electrical contacts and leads are completely enclosed, with the result that the equipment may be handled when the leads are energized without fear of accidental shock. The entire structure is compact and neat in appearance, and the exterior lugs aid in maintaining a firm manual grip on the socket as it is positioned on or removed from the base 'of the tube. The several leads from the socket are all completely enclosed at the points at which they are soldered to the contact terminals so there is no flexing of the leads at these vital points and the risk of breakage is greatly reduced. Moreover, the circular raceway provides a convenient and efficient means for grouping all of the leads into a single radially extending cable, yet effectively isolates the several different soldered terminals.

The form of the invention illustrated in the drawings and described in this specification has been selected as a typical embodiment of the inventive concept and is believed to be well illustrative of the means by which these teachings can best be utilized, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible Without sacrifice of all of the advantages of the invention, and it is accordingly pointed out that the scope of the inventive thought extends to any variations of structure coming within the terms of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In an electronic tube socket including a body portion and a cap, the improvement that resides in the provision of a rearwardly disposed cap seat extending marginally around the socket body and a back cap including a flange adapted to bear against the cap seat; the cap including a plurality of semicircular lugs positioned with their axes perpendicular to the outer surface of the cap; the socket body including matching semicircular lugs overhanging the, cap seat to engage the outer surface of the flange of the cap; said lugs being regularly spaced so that the cap may be fitted to the socket body in any one of several angular positions, and the lugs having matching grooves around their outer surfaces whereby they may be held together by locking rings to maintain the cap in position on the socket body.

2. In an electronic tube socket including a circular body portion and a cap, the improvement that resides in the provision of a circular cap seat extending around the socket body and a cap including a cylindrical side flange adapted to bear against the cap seat; the cap including a plurality of lugs positioned at regular angular intervals around the outer surface of the cap; the socket body including plural sets of matching lugs, said matching lugs also being regularly spaced so that the cap may be fitted to the socket body in any one of several angular positions, together with means to secure the lugs, together to maintain the cap in position on the socket body.

3. In an electronic tube socket including a body and a back cap, the combination of a circular socket body having a face surface with a plurality of pin openings therein, a cap supporting shoulder of less diameter than the outer surface of the socket body and a circular cap seat between the outer surface of the socket body and said shoulder, together with a back cap including a flat bottom portion and an outer cylindrical flange adapted to bear on the cap seat to completely enclose the back surface of the socket body; the cap including a plurality of grooved lugs on its outer surface and the socket body including matching grooved lugs overhanging the cap seat to engage the outer surface of the cap flange and adapted to bejoined to the lugs of the cap by locking rings to maintain the cap in position on the socket body.

HAROLD Z. BENTON. RAYMOND R. OVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,984,181 French Dec. 11, 1934 2,249,619 Perkins July 15, 1941 2,271,463 Reeves Jan. 2'7, 1942 2,294,880 Alden Sept. 8, 1942 2,346,166 Hurleman Apr. 11, 1944 2,451,538 Del Camp Oct. 19, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 363,388 England Dec. 1'7, 1931 547,968 England Sept. 18, 1942 4,475/31 Austria Oct. 20, 1932 

